Maritime Union of New Zealand

A Russian fishing vessel under arrest in the port of Lyttelton is at the centre of a wages row with crew for the second time in eighteen months.

19 Russian and Ukrainian crew members aboard the 'Aleksandr Ksenofontov' have approached unions for assistance as they are concerned they will not be paid wages when their contract ends on 15 July.

An overtime ban at the Port of Otago has been suspended following last minute negotiations between unions and management.

The two unions at Port of Otago, the Maritime Union of New Zealand, and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, will be meeting with management over the next 7 days in mediation.

Maritime Union of New Zealand President Phil Adams says the overtime ban has been suspended for up to a week to allow a solution to be found.

He says that if mediation breaks down during this time, or if no resolution can be made, then the ban will come back into effect immediately.

The Maritime Union has welcomed a Government announcement that it intends to improve protections for casual workers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the Union has been arguing since 1991 that the practice of employing casual labour on the waterfront is degrading and unfair.

"It is similar to the situation of a century ago when workers lined up for work at the port gate, and many were victimized or refused work."

Mr Hanson says peaks and troughs of work in the maritime industry have not always required supplementary labour to the permanent workforce, but with the disestablishment of the Waterfront Industry Commission in 1989 the permanent workforce had become increasingly casualized.

He says the situation has lead to casual workers on the books of up to four employers in their port, in some cases surviving for many years "on the end of a phone, waiting for a call."

"We have cases in New Zealand of waterfront workers who have been employed in a port for up to fifteen years as casuals, waiting in vain for an opportunity to get a permanent job with the security that gives."

The Maritime Union is taking action to recover the unpaid wages of a Russian crew aboard an arrested ship in the Ports of Auckland.

Maritime Union Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says the Union has been assisting the crew aboard the 'Southern Pearl' and is now representing the crew members.

He says the crew contacted the Union with their problems.

"The crew have not been paid and have been surviving on very poor food, no milk, vegetables or fruit. The amount of money they have been getting by on is very poor. It's a concerning financial situation for them especially given that the vessel has been arrested."

Mr Carlisle says the "flag of convenience" vessel has no agreement with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) who ensure crews are paid a reasonable wage and have decent conditions.

He says the goal of the Union will be to ensure crew members receive their pay before leaving New Zealand.

"Our international connections with other maritime workers will ensure this case is resolved satisfactorily."

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has attacked plans by employers to bring in migrant labour into the seafood industry after mass layoffs in the same sector.

A week after Sealord confirmed it would axe 323 jobs from its Nelson mussel factory, two South Island seafood companies Talleys and Aotearoa Seafood have applied to import 100 migrant labourers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that the use of temporary labour being imported from overseas threatens local employment.

The Maritime Union says the buyback of rail and ferries is a good step towards rebuilding a top quality transport system in New Zealand.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the move is positive for New Zealand, and should have been done a long time ago.

"The only regret is that we have now had a generation where this vital part of our infrastructure has been first asset stripped then unsuccessfully operated by global corporations interested in shareholder profit, not for what is good for New Zealand."

Mr Hanson says the Government was moving in the right direction but should not be timid.

"We need some more speed in developing New Zealand-owned coastal shipping, establishing a national ports strategy, and ensuring our transport infrastructure is developed for the benefit of New Zealand, not private interest groups or overseas shareholders."

Mr Hanson says shipping and rail will be the two transport modes of the future as fuel prices, road congestion and environmental problems continue to grow.